Coupling stabilizer for moineau pumps



Dec. 14, 19'48. J. B. WADE 2,455,227

` GOUPLIIG STBILIZER FOR MOINEAU PUMPS Filed sept. 25, 1,945 v 2 sheets-sheet 2 A TTOlP/VEY Patented Dec. 14, 1948 .l ohm Machinery-and ration di.:Delaware.

B..Wacle,.Arcadia, Calif., assigner to Food` GhemicaLCorporation, a corpo- Aepucation september 25,1945, seriarNo. sieste 'This invention relates toimprovements in Moineau-pumps and a particular object of the inventionl is tc=reduce-the'vibration incident to theoperation'ot this typeoffpump at high-speeds. TheprincipleA of the so-'called Moineau pump is disclosed in U. S. Lettersv Patent tov Rene Moineau,h No. 1,892,217 and' No, 2,028,407. This pump comprises a helicalrotor rotatably disposediinvv a helically formed opening in a stator. The helical surfaces ofA the rotorV and stator are so related as to vfor-mA pockets f between` theUA rotor and statorWlfiichjtraveliny a given direction as thevrotor-y turns in the stator, thereby'eecting a pumping action. Whentherotor is thus turned, its axis-describes a gyratorypath-about the central axis of the-stator and inthe reverse direction to that in whichthe rotor is rotated. This makes it necessarytotransmit power te the rotor through aflexible element.

The coupling at present in genera-luse for/drive ing the rotor of this typepumpisthat disclosed in- U. Si Letters Patent to James M; Hait, No. 2.3465426 lissued-April211g 1944. The Hait coupling comprises; aheavy steel cable,vopposite ends of which arerigidly unitedf with steell heads, the cable and portions of the heads'being covered with afjacket'of'soft vulcanized'rubber bonded to the metal parts. Useof the I-IaitA couplingreduced theI vibration experienced in rotating Moineau pump rotors at high speeds asis customarily done in-wells. Another means of reducingth-is vibration by-v greatly lightening the rotor is Y comprised in a hollow MoineauA pump rotor'formed ofl ex.- pandedy sheet metal which is disclosedin my 4copending:application for U. S. Letters patent,

No. 553,626 filed-September 1115, 1944,

Itis an object ofthe present invention to pro*- videa novel means of exercising'further control over the vibration of a- Moineau'pumprotor.

The manner of accomplishing the foregoing objects, Aas well'as `further objectsV and'advantages, will be made manifest in the followingvdescription taken in connection with. the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic longitudinal-*sectional View of a section. of. a Well, showing installed therein` aMoineau. pump vwith which a preferred embodiment of the present. inventionis incorporated.

Fig.. 2v isV an enlarged longitudinal cross sectional view; takeny on the line 2'-2of` Fig. 1 and illustrating; the invention in greater; detail;

Eig. 3i is. an. enlarged sectional view.v taken'. on

thaline 3.--3 cizigrkand. illustrating theshollow molaims.. (C1. :loaf-liv) type of Moineau. pump. rotor. with. which. my invention is preferably associated.v

Fig. 4. is an` enlarged crosslsectional view. taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Referring specifically to the drawings, my inf vention is there illustrated as embodied with. a well'pump I (loi` the Moineau type-in a well .casing Ii. The pump I@ is suspended ontheflower.` end of a pump. tubing I2 having. lower sections I3, i4; andi 151. connected by collars I6; and I'l.v A pump tubing IZ forms a housing. for andv base upon-which' the working parts of: the pump'. Ill are mounted and supported. These. include a spider 2i).` which is. ,gripped between adjacent endsof: the. tubing sections lliv and Iand which supports centrally a lower drivev shaft` bearing 22| which, as shown in- Fig. 1, is of the rubber watenlubricated type. Extending' downwardly through the tubing I2': is aline shaft 22; the lower end of which journals inthebearing 2-I.

Clamped between adjacent ends of the tubing sections I4' and I5 is a spider 25a-which supports -co-axially. with the tubing I2; aicouplingstabilizer ring 2t. This ring has a polished centrali-.upwardly tapered opening. `2.`

Screwed onto the lower end ofthe pump. -tubing I2: is the stator 3.0. ofthe pump: Il), thishaving a soft rubber core Sli in which is *moldedv a helical opening 32`which is double pitched `and isadapted to receive a single pitched helical'rotor 35?.' The rotor 3'5 is so shaped withk respect to the con-- figuration of the stator opening 32 kkthatwhen the rotor is -rotated in saidopening, a series of vpockets are formed between the rotor andthe stator which travelA in an axial direction, thereby effecting. aA pumping action. When the rotor-'.35 is so rotated in the stator 30, the axis of the rotor describes .a gyratory path about the'central axis of the stator travelling in the directionopposite to that in which said rotor rotates.

Bower] is .transmitted between said shaft 22-and said rotor 35' by a flexible drivev coupling* 40 -wh-icl'iy is preferablyof thetype disclosed'in the patent of James M. Hait above mentioned. This coupling includes steel heads 4I and 41v which are secured respectively to the lower? end ofthe shaft 22A and the upper end of the rotor- 355, a heavy steel cable 43, oppositeends of-*which are rigidly Xed in sockets 44A formed in saidheads, and a jacket 45 of soft rubber which surrounds thecable 43 andl portions of the heads 4IA and .42 and is vulcanizedfthereto.

The pump IIlf is adapted to draw lwater' surroundingA the stator 30vv inA the casing I I inwardly `through-a screen mounted' onithellowerend 3 of the stator 30 and force this water upwardly through the tubing l2 to the surface of the ground. This is accomplished by rotating the rotor 35 through the shaft 22. Efficiency requires that this rotation be at a fairly high rate and is ordinarily about 1500 R. P. M.

Owing to the gyration of the rotor 35 in the opposite direction to that in which it rotates in the stator 3D, the flexible drive coupling 40 has a tendency to whip outwardly from the axis of the drive shaft 22. Whenthe tube l2 is filled with water, the weight thus imposed upon the rotor 35 tends to straighten out the coupling di] and diminish whipping of the latter.

I have found that whipping of the flexible coupling 40 may be reduced to an absolute minimum by confining this coupling within a ring such as the stabilizer ring 26 at a point intermediate opposite ends of the fiexible portion of the coupling 4t. The opening 2l in the stabilizer ring 26 is concentric with the axis of the shaft 22 and is so shaped as to be contacted by a mid portion of the coupling 130 when the coupling is flexed to adapt itself .to lthe off set axes of its opposite ends when the pump is not running. The portion of the coupling located within the ring 26 is thus slightly eccentric relative to the ringas shown in Figs. 2 and 4.

The effect ofthe stabilizer ring 25 therefore when the pump l is running is to maintain the flexible coupling 4U in the normal flexed condition which it assumes when the pump is not running .to adapt itself to the olf set axes of the shaft 22 .and the rotor 35.

The stabilizer ring 26 thus prevents whipping of vthe flexible coupling 40 which Would otherwise result from the fact that rotation of the pump rotor 35 causes its axis to describe a gyratory path about the axis of the stator 3| in the reverse direction to that in which the rotor is rotated.

I claim:

l. In combination: a housing; a stator connected to said housing and having a helical opening; a rotor rotatably disposed in said stator openn ing and so shaped relative thereto as to gyrate in the opposite direction to that in which it is turned in said stator opening; a shaft journalled in said housing for rotation in alignment with the axis of said stator; a flexible drive coupling, one end of which is connected to said shaft and the other i` end of which is connected to said rotor; and stabilizing means mounted in said housing and positioned to be engaged by said coupling as the latter rotates in transmitting power between said shaft and said rotor, to confine said coupling l' against the latter yielding to the action of unbalanced centrifugal forces operating thereon.

2. In combination: a housing; a stator connected to said housing and having a helical opening; a rotor rotatably disposed in said stator opening and so shaped relative thereto as to gyrate in the opposite direction to that in which it is turned in said stator opening; a shaft journalled in said housing for rotation inY alignment with the axis of said stator; a flexible drive cou-- pling, one end of which is connected to said shaft and the other end of which is connected to said rotor; and a stabilizing ring mounted in said housing to surround said coupling to confine the latter against whipping causedv by centrifugal forces set up by said gyration of said rotor.

3. In combination: a housing; a stator connected to said housing and having a helical opening; a rotor disposed in said stator opening and lvsohshapedrelative thereto astogyrate in the opposite direction to that in which it is turned in said stator opening; a shaft journalled in said housing for rotation in alignment with the axis of said stator; a flexible drive coupling, one end of which is connected t0 said shaft and the other end of which is connected to said rotor; and a stabilizing ring mounted in said housing to surround said coupling to confine the latter against whipping caused by centrifugal forces set up by said gyration of said rotor, said ring being so mounted approximately midway between opposite ends of said coupling.

4. In combination: a housing; a stator connected to said housing and having a helical opening; a rotor rotatably disposed in said stator opening and so shaped relative thereto as to gyrate in the opposite direction to that in which it is turned in said stator opening; a shaft journalled in said housing for rotation in alignment with the axis of said stator; a sinuous flexible drive coupling, one end of which is connected to said shaft and the other end of which is connected to said rotor; and a stabilizing ring mounted in said housing to surround said coupling to confine the latter against whipping caused by centrifugal forces set up by said gyration of said rotor, said ring being so mounted approximately midway between opposite ends of said coupling, the axis of the opening in said ring being co-axial with said shaft.

5. In combination: a housing; a stator connected to said housing and having a helical opening; a rotor rotatably disposed in said stator opening and so shaped relativethereto as to gyrate in the opposite direction to that in which it is turned in said stator opening; a shaft journalled in said housing for rotation in alignment with the axis of said stator; a flexible drive coupling, one end of which is connected to said shaft and the other end of which is connected to said rotor; and a stabilizing ring mounted in said housing to surround said coupling to confine the latter against whipping caused by centrifugal forces set up by said gyration of said rotor, said ring being so mounted approximately midway between 0pposite ends of said coupling, the axis of the opening in said ring being co-axial with said shaft and tapering toward said drive shaft.

`6. In combination: a pump tubing; a stator connecting with said pump tubing and having a helical opening; a rotor disposed in said stator opening and so shaped relative thereto as to gyrate in the opposite direction Ato that in which it is turned in said stator opening; a bearing in said pump tubing; a shaft journalling in said bearing for rotation in alignment with the axis of said stator; a flexible drive coupling, one'end of which is connected to said shaft and the other end of which is connected to said rotor; and a spider mounted in said tubing, said spider having a central ring which surrounds said coupling at a point intermediate the ends of the flexible portion of said coupling so as to confine the part of said coupling surrounded by said ring substantially in the normal flexed condition which it assumes when said pump is not running.

7. In combination: a housing; astator connected to said housing and having a helical opening; a rotor disposed in said stator opening and so shaped relative thereto as to gyrate in the opposite direction to that in which it is turned in said stator opening; a shaft journalled in said housing for rotation in alignment with the axis of said stator; a flexible drive coupling comprising heads .connected to saidA shaft and to said 5 rotor, a wire cable, opposite ends of which are xed to said heads, and a jacket of rubber bonded to and covering said cable; and stabilizing means mounted in said housing and positioned to be engaged by said coupling as the latter rotates in transmitting power between said shaft and said rotor, to conne an intermediate portion of said coupling against the latter yielding to the action of unbalanced centrifugal forces operating there- JOHN B. WADE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the iile of this patent:

Number Number UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Paquet Aug. 3, 1926 Hait Dec. 23, 1941 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Australia Nov. 7, 1940 

